At the beginning of the play, Churchill acknowledges the use of two other books, The Confessions of Lady Nijo and A Curious Life for a Lady by Pat Barr.
Top Girls should also be viewed in the context of Churchill's other plays—from Fen and Serious Money to The Skriker, Far Away, and Love and Information—as well as plays by her contemporaries, such playwrights such as Sarah Kane (Blasted, 4:48 Psychosis) and Tom Stoppard (Arcadia, Indian Ink).